Scripture: Revelation 22 v 13 - 16: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."
Genesis 3 v 22 - 24: "And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
This final chapter of The Revelation of John the Divine is also the final chapter of the Holy Bible. It starts with the pure water of life flowing from the Throne of God and the Lamb. In the midst of the river and on either side of it is the Tree of Life which we first read about in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden by an angel with a flaming sword. This was to prevent them in their sinful state from eating the fruit of the tree of Life and living forever. So the fruit of this Tree of Life in the first and last books of the Bible is significant for our eternal salvation and where we spend eternity.
While we are eating the forbidden fruit that grows on the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" then it takes us away from the Life of Jesus. Our head knowledge, worldly wisdom and sexual impurity leads to us tilling the soil by the sweat of our brow. The hardships of life without true fellowship with God. It's doubly hard when jobs are scarce.
Jesus speaks of Himself as Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. This makes Him the sum of all things. Alpha and Omega are the A to Z of the Greek alphabet. He is the Word, the sum of all words written of Him in the Bible, and so much more.
He is the root and offspring of David. This is the King of Israel, warrior, prophet and poet. Jesus Christ is the root from which David originated. He is also born a Man from the lineage of David. So David is central to the character of Jesus. God called David a man after my own heart.
Jesus is the bright and Morning Star. He is everything to those who believe in Him in His entirety. He is the Star, our Sun is a star that is very bright to us on Earth. We cannot look directly at the Sun for longer than a second. Jesus is the very essence of those who are born again. His presence in our lives removes us from death. It is up to us to maintain the purity He brings to us.
He says that those who are holy and righteous, will become even more so. But those who are unjust and spiritually unclean will get worse and worse. Those who will never know Him He calls dogs (vicious monsters), sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and whosoever loves lies and tells lies.
So if any of these even remotely resembles areas in your life that needs dealing with then search your heart and get it perfectly in line with the Word of God. Let His shed Blood cleanse you from all sin. It is the only substance in the Universe that can blot out all and every sin. He bled and died on the Cross to spare you eternity in Hell. Plus He wants you to have a better life here on Earth showing other sinners the way, the truth and the life.
Hell goes way beyond your worst nightmare. Way beyond. Continuous pain and extreme suffering for eternity. The shop window says its just one long party in Hell. Written by the Father of Lies, the Devil or Satan or the Great Red Dragon. Many have bought the lie and will sell it wholesale. Only Jesus can rescue you. Only He was raised from the dead to conquer the power of Hell for mankind.
No prophet, not Mary, no Guru, no Buddha died in your place. No cult, ancestor, philosophy, communist manifesto, politician, king or queen has an answer that will get you to Heaven. Only Jesus Christ the Son of God holds the keys to hell and death. He took them away from Satan when He descended into Abraham's Bosom after His death on the Cross.
It is no longer Satan's ability to assign souls to Hell. This privilege belongs to our righteous King Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star. Satan has no more authority, he only has bluff, deception, pretty little lies and power over the unsaved. If he still has you in his shameful grip turn to Jesus and be saved.
Ephesians 5 v 11 - 12: "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."
Let our Bright and Morning Star shine forth from us to destroy the fruits of darkness and secrecy. Our secret faults and sins will be exposed to His Light. Jesus said that nothing will remain hidden, every evil deed will be fully exposed. People with compromised computers may try to erase all evil but the King of the Universe knows all about it. The Day of Judgment will be either your greatest victory or your most terrifying failure.
What we have done to and for others will be revealed on that day. We will either be kind, righteous, loving sheep or stubborn, wilful, wild, sinful, selfish goats. Our motives will be seen too. Did we just do kindness to be seen to be righteous or was it for show to win the acclaim of men? It is truly amazing how so many former ISIS and Hezbollah terrorists have turned their lives around and found salvation in Jesus Christ. The fastest growing Christian conversions on Earth is in Iran. Not what you would see on Main Stream Media that's for sure.
It will be better for us to overcome these things that are alien to God's Kingdom while we are still able. If we leave it till the Day of Judgment it will be a gamble we cannot win. It is expected of Christians to love Jesus so much that everything we are and have is His to direct into the lives of the lost to win souls for His eternal Kingdom.
1 John 1 v 5 - 7: "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
If we are not walking in the Light of Jesus we shun fellowship with those who are. We don't enjoy being convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin in our lives. If people who were known as Christians resist sharing the joys of salvation with you, do not ignore it, reach out in love to restore them to our only hope. Don't wait till after the Rapture when they may be left behind! Just saying.
Prayer: Heavenly Father Every day the anarchy, wars, storms, evil people, governments, religious people who know not Jesus, become worse and more frightening. The coming of Jesus is delayed as You are not willing for any to perish. You want as many as possible to be saved. Lord its up to us to warn them and give them the true gospel. Then Your Son will return to take us out of this world. In Jesus' name. Amen.